Lon Chaney Has Nothing On You
by siriuslymerlin
Summary: Sioux Falls was supposed to be a nice place to settle down and finish high school, but for Eleanor, it's set right out of a horror movie. At least she's made a few normal friends, right?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** **Hi there! BWCW has been one of my favorite nickelodeon movies since it came out, and I've been wanting to write for it for a while, so here I am! Updates will be 3-4 week approximately, or sooner if my workload is smaller. Enjoy!**

Eleanor Davis was not looking forwards to a new school. She was not looking forwards to leaving what meager friends she had taken years to acquire and having to start from scratch. She knew she wasn't conventionally pretty in ways that made a girls popular, though she liked her green eyes and smile. She was rather quirky: possessing a wide knowledge of several books, TV shows, and movies along with a data base of useless facts. She dressed almost exclusively in graphic tees, flannels, ink covered skinny jeans, and her favorite Chuck Taylors. Her hair was impossible; it was a mop of unruly, shoulder-length black curls she could never finagle into something nice. She was too skinny, with no curves to speak of at 16. She also had the worst habit of running her mouth at the most inappropriate times.

Did her father take any of this into account when he ran off with a much younger woman? No. Did he care at all that he was deserting his wife of twenty years and his only child? No. Had he forgotten just how dramatic his now ex-wife was? Had he not realized that the "pain of his betrayal" would "haunt Delphine for all eternity in this house of hell?" The answer to that was of course yes, because, as intelligent as her father came off, he never stopped to think. It was this inability to think through his course of actions that had rudely uprooted Eleanor from her beloved home in New York City and landed her in Sioux Falls, Minnesota with zero regard to her feelings. Just typical. Nevertheless, she was determined to make the best of a truly miserable situation. She held her head high and agreed vehemently when her mother told her Sioux Falls would be a great place to paint and for Eleanor to finally get a hobby.

That's how Eleanor found herself desperately trying to straighten her hair at 6 AM in the morning, in hopes of looking somewhat decent her first day of junior year. After an hour of struggling, she'd finally gotten her hair together and she was dressed in a boring plain blue button down paired with a plain black tank top, new unstained jeans, and for the first time in her life, soft looking ballet flats. After deciding she wasn't going to look any better than this, she shouldered her bag and left the house, ignoring her mother who was sprawled out on the couch, martini already in hand. Day drinking already, good god. The drive to school was quiet, mostly because Eleanor couldn't figure out what station to put on, or what they were. She parked quickly and dashed into the building after looking at the time. Thankfully the student office wasn't hard to find and the lady at the front desk was very kind, printing off a map for her and telling her how to get to her first class. With various papers in her hand, she managed to make it class with seconds to spare. Students milled about the class room. Girls sat on desks and flirted with boys. Other read quietly, and one group of boys huddled close together, laughing at something. Eleanor turned to the older man at the front of the room, presumably the teacher.

"Mr. Foley?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes?" he gave his answer without looking up.

"I'm new here this year, and I need you to sign this," she explained, handing him the homeroom teacher form when he looked up. He quickly signed it and handed it back.

"Alright Ms. Davis, let's find you someone to buddy up with here," Mr. Foley typed away and scrolled through his computer for several minutes. The class behind her began to settle and she could feel everyone looking at her.

"Oh perfect," Mr. Foley muttered, "Mr. Sands?" A blonde boy looked up, the same one who had been laughing closely with his friends. Eleanor noticed he had a camera in his hands.

"Considering just how many classes you and our new friend Ms. Davis have together, I'm assigning you to be her buddy, show her around and the like," Mr. Foley explained. The boy groaned and began to argue.

"No arguments, Hunter! Everyone, this is Eleanor Davis, who just move here. I expect everyone to be friendly!" there was a mumbled noise of agreement and Eleanor was finally allowed to take her seat. Admittedly, Hunter ignored her for favor of his own friends, but that made it all the more important to appeal to him. Mr. Foley spent the rest of the period talking about the upcoming junior year, the perks balancing out the responsibilities.

After class, Eleanor sped up to catch up with Hunter.

"Hey Hunter! How's it hanging, home slice?" He stopped dead and gave the girl a funny look.

"No one says _home slice_ anymore," with that, he continued on. Eleanor hurried to catch up with him.

"What's your next class? Mine's Calculus with Mrs. Bright," she babbled. The boy sighed.

"Yeah I know. Mine too, that's why I'm stuck being your buddy," he turned a corner abruptly and Eleanor almost tripped trying to keep up.

"What's the rush? Afraid all the good integrals will be taken?" She joked, going so far as to weakly elbow his side. Hunter's mouth quirked, like he was trying not to smile. Once inside, Hunter picked a seat next to the African American boy he'd been talking to earlier. Eleanor sat on the other side of him.

"Hi, I'm Eleanor," she introduced herself the other boy, who looked a little taken aback.

"Uh, hi. I'm Rich," he replied, looking to Hunter in confusion. Hunter only shrugged. Eleanor was about to say something else, but Mrs. Bright started talking, first going over the syllabus then jumping straight into the first lecture. The students scrambled to take notes, which left no time for talking. The next few classes passed in the same manner. She tried asking Hunter questions, but only received either curt answers or sarcastic ones. So far, the only things she managed to learn about him was that he really like creative writing.

Finally, after 4 awkward periods, it was finally time for lunch. She followed Hunter wordlessly through the lunch line and then to his table, where she awkwardly hovered. His two friends were already sitting there.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked, a little apprehensive. The third boy, a tall, scrawny, and pale kid looked her over.

"I'd say… a solid 6, borderline 7. Sit down, I'm Rob," Rob gave a smarmy smile and Eleanor returned it hesitantly.

"Rob, man, don't be weird. This poor girl's been here all of two seconds and you're already putting the moves on her," Rich shook his head in disgust and offered Eleanor a kind smile, one she returned gratefully.

"Hey cool, is that a Supernatural button on your backpack?" asked Rob, eyeing her excitedly. Eleanor perked up at that.

"Yeah, you know, saving people, hunting things, the family business," she replied, happy to have something in common with the boys. Even Hunter was starting to show an interest.

"Do you like horror movies?" he asked casually.

"Oh, me? No way, I scare too easily! Which is funny because I can do horror TV just fine," she told him, smiling victoriously. A slow smile spread across his face. Lunch passed with Eleanor content. She talked mostly with Rob and Rich, with Hunter interjecting occasionally. Rob was put on a smarmy façade and clearly exaggerated his stories, though no one called him out on him. Rich was kinder, with a wicked sense of humor. He seemed to be in the business of defying all stereotypes. He was crazy tall, but abhorred basketball. He was nerdy, but didn't take academics very seriously. He wore a Metallica shirt, but talked excitedly about the Kanye West concert he'd attended during the summer. However, it seemed the rest of the population thought the trio of boys were nowhere near cool. Girls passed and Rob called out compliments and pickup lines, making everyone cringe and the girls they were aimed at toss rude names at him. A group of jocks passed by and called to them mockingly, going as far as to drum on Hunter's head and knock Rich and Rob's heads together. Fortunately, she went unnoticed.

"We're not exactly the cool kids," Hunter explained once the jocks left. Eleanor gave them her best sympathy face. Personally, she'd been hoping to make cool friends for once, but not-so-cool friends were better than none.

"You don't want to leave? Try and get in with the Barbie crew?" Hunter asked, as if reading her thoughts. Eleanor blushed at the question.

"No way! You guys are my friends," she told them firmly. Hunter gave her a big, cheesy smile. Finally! The bell signaling lunch rang. She and Hunter said goodbye to other boys and went to their 6th period class, Chemistry. Hunter talked more openly now, asking her questions now, to which she happily gave answers to. He asked where she lived, and she told him it was the Majesty at the Falls neighborhood. He nodded at that, then told her his neighborhood, which wasn't so far from her own. He asked her if she drove and Eleanor told him all about beloved Toyota Camry. He informed that, sadly, he and boys took the bus, because his dad never let him borrow the car. Eleanor kept quiet on the subject of fathers, not wanting to be judged due to her own shitty father.

Finally, 10th period, the last period of the day rolled around. It was also the one class that Eleanor didn't have with Hunter. He took woodshop, whereas she took mythology. Hunter was kind enough to walk her to her next class, which wasn't very far. She bid him goodbye and walked into class. Mr. Fadley, the mythology teacher had a very monotonous voice, making it hard to concentrate. In the meantime, while Fadley launched into an explanation of the countries and myths they were to study, Eleanor began to compile all her data on her new friends. Rob was tall, but still shorter than the other boys. He had a mane of black hair that contrasted sharply with him almost translucent skin. He was gangly and scrawny, but held himself with confidence. He walked with a swagger that came off pretty obnoxious, but it was almost endearing the more she thought about it. Rich was the tallest, standing at 6'6. His hair was cropped closely. He was clearly the brains of the operation. He held himself as though he knew too much, but was clearly the kindest. Hunter was tall, just passing 6 feet. He had a mop of blonde hair that fell into his eyes, though she'd noticed they were a very pretty shade of blue-green. While he wasn't as built as the jocks, he was well muscled, something she'd figured out when she tripped directly into him on the way to European history. He was also very intelligent, considering she was in almost all AP's and he'd met her class for class.

Overall, she considered the day a success. She'd made friends, liked all her classes and teachers, and hadn't gotten lost once. The drive home had been fine until she came to the gates of her neighborhood. The wooded road, so pretty and inviting, looked downright terrifying, covered in fog. She turned on her fog lights, because as pretty as the road was, it was almost completely covered by the canopy of trees. However, there seemed to be no light coming from car. Her heart started pounding when she stopped the car and climbed out. Upon inspection, it seemed someone had taped over her lights with duct tape, which was hell to pull off. It figured; of course there was going to be some douche bag pranking people in the parking lot. After all the tape was gone, she moved to get back in her car, but stopped dead when she heard a rustling noise. She whirled around but there was nothing there. She hopped into the car fast and turned it back on with shaking fingers. She had her windows down to make up for her busted A/C and could hear more rustling. Just as she was about to start driving, a dark figure leapt from the trees and slammed it hands down on her hood. She screamed, barely registering a flash, before slamming her accelerator. She banged into the creature, knocking him down, but before she could go further, Rob screamed at her to stop. Hearing his voice, she slammed her breaks.

"Jesus Christ!" He exclaimed, "Turn your car off, it's just us!" she did as she was told, and climbed out of the car to find Rich, camera in hand easing off the monster mask from the figure. Her guilt melted into anger when she saw it was Hunter. Hunter, who'd been so kind this morning, had only played her. She was friendless once more.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" her voice shook with poorly controlled anger once Hunter was back on his feet.

"What's wrong with me? What wrong with you? Who just runs someone over like that?" He asked, groaning and rubbing his abdomen.

"You're the worst! You absolute jerk! How could just do that! I thought—" her voice cut out then. She realized, horrified, that tears began to well up in her eyes and the lump in her throat wasn't from fear. All three boys' heads snapped up stare at her, horrified. They'd never scared someone so much they cried. Eleanor sucked in a breath and steeled herself.

"Move!" she all but snarled it at the boys, stalking to her car when the boys jumped out of the way. Rob went and turned off the fog machine.

"Hey, c'mon Eleanor, we were just messing around, we promise," Hunter gave a wide smile, and had she gotten over her anger, just the slightest amount, she would've melted. But she didn't.

"Do you want me to run you over for real this time?" Her voice was thick with unshed tears, but the threat was so real that even Hunter could read it. The boys backed up and the fog lessened considerably. She floor it and ended up at home in record time. On her way inside, she passed her mother, passed out on the couch, martini glass dangling precariously in her hand. The steady rise and fall of her chest reassured her and Eleanor moved past that. Once she reached her bedroom, only then did she cry.

00000

The next day of school, she stumbled into calculus with only moments to spare, earning a harsh glare from Mrs. Bright. Once Eleanor had taken her seat, the woman began her lecture. Today, Rich and Hunter had left the only open seat in class between them, so Eleanor was forced to sit there.

"Hey Eleanor!" Hunter's cheerful whisper went ignored.

"Did you catch last night's Supernatural episode?" she had, but she wasn't about to let Rich know that.

"C'mon Ellie, we were just messing around," Hunter told her, voice sweet and pleading.

"Don't call me Ellie!" she snapped quietly. Only her father was allowed to do that. Amazingly, Hunter and Rich backed off then. Eleanor sighed; finally it was over and she could live out her next 2 years here in solitude.

Of course, she was wrong. Hunter didn't let the matter drop, instead he alternated between pleading with her and talking at her. Finally, when it was lunch time, Eleanor planned her escape. She would retreat to the library and eat there. However, Hunter and the boys had other plans for her. Once she stepped out of the lunch line, Hunter swooped in and grabbed her tray.

"Let me get that, it looks heavy," he dodged her gracefully when she made a grab for her tray. Just then, Rob plucked her bag from where dangled off her shoulder. She whirled around, only to crash into Rich, who began escorting her to their table. She sat down in huff, glaring at the boys, who had plastered cheesy smiles to their faces.

"Come on Eleanor, it was just a prank! Like an induction! Now that you're our friend, we promise we won't play anymore pranks on you!" Hunter promised. The others nodded eagerly. Eleanor stared Hunter down, but he didn't back down. She could've sworn there was a flicker of gold in his eyes before he blinked.

"Hah! I win," She smirked at him, as the guys laughed at that. The need for friends won out over her anger, and seeing how eager the guys were, Eleanor finally relaxed and let her guard down. Dorky, prankster friends were better than no friends. She and Rob talked about the new Supernatural episode from last night, while Hunter looked at an essay for Rich. After that, the day passed more easily. Hunter explained that scaring people and taking pictures of their faces was one of favorite pass times. He told her animatedly about the few times he'd gotten suspended his freshman year, and then about some of his more covert operations. That afternoon, she offered to drive the guys home if they liked, an offer they took immediately. They had fun in the car, with Rich fiddling through her radio. She dropped Rich and Rob off, then Hunter, since he lived closer to her.

"I'll see you later," Eleanor called as he left. He turned back her.

"You don't think you could pick me up tomorrow?" He asked, giving her a hopeful look. Eleanor laughed and nodded, to which he grinned and waved.

Though it had a rocky start, she mused, driving back home, the year looked promising.

 **A/N:** **Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a comment, concern, or critique if you like in the reviews!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** **Hello friends! It was brought to my attention that people are actually reading this story, and that perhaps, I should add onto it. For months after its initial release, no one had read it, so I figured there was no point in finishing it. Then, someone wrote a review for it (thanks AM83220!) that not only reminded me to update this dame thing, but also brought up a couple major plot fallacies. Hopefully, I've ironed them out, but please let me know what else the story needs! I want to make this the best it can be! Now, for those who've actually read through this too long paragraph, I wish you happy reading!**

The next week was more or less smooth sailing, Eleanor noticed. Jocks still jeered at the group, cheerleaders still demonstrated their disdain at every opportunity, but it was easier to bear with friends.

Rob was easier to like once he let go of his smarmy façade. He was a pretty big mythology nerd, something he and Eleanor had in common. He was in the morning myth class, so he told her what they'll be covering in class every day.

Rich was the same, just more talkative. He and Eleanor shared the same taste in music, so he showed her all the cool radio stations. He's still the most level-headed of the group, always the first to tell someone when they're overreacting.

Hunter, though, still remained an enigma. Eleanor couldn't decide if he actually liked her or just tolerated her presence for the sake of the other two. Sometimes, Eleanor caught him frowning at her, though he was quick to turn it into one of his big, cheesy grins. Still, she'd take two out of three.

The second Monday of the school year rolled around far too fast, cutting the weekend off. Saturday, the guys had invited her to the dog park, which was much more fun than she'd imagined. Mostly, it was just Hunter rolling around with the dogs and tackling his friends to the ground. Rob and Rich laughed along, even when they were dogpiled upon. Hunter surprised Eleanor by catching her around the waist when she was distracted by a cute puppy and dragging her to the ground. He'd crowded over her, smiling a little maniacally, eyes glinting. Eleanor snorted, before tickling his sides harshly and pushing him off. He'd seemed in much higher spirits after that.

Now, while reminiscing, Eleanor tried not to burn herself with the straightener, something easier said than done. After getting her hair looking manageable, she put the straightener down with a sense of accomplishment, having only burned herself twice. Improvement was improvement, after all. She moved quickly after that, getting dressed and grabbing a granola bar on her way out. She spared a glance at her mother, passed out on the couch, probably still drunk from the night before. Eleanor forced herself to move past her; if her mother wants help, she'll ask for it.

The drive to Hunter's place went by pretty quick, and today she didn't even have to honk the horn for him to come out. He slid into the passenger seat gracefully, smiling at her in greeting.

"Morning, Sands," she said, backing the car out of the driveway.

"Hey, E. Davis!" he chirped, far too energetic for a Monday morning. Eleanor told him as much.

"You are far too energetic for a Monday morning, my dude." Hunter only laughed, reaching over to tug on a lock of her hair. She ducked away from him, laughing.

"Hey man! No distracting the driver!" They pulled into Rich's driveway, gathered the boy, and moved onto the next stop. Even from the backseat, Rich tried to control the radio, leading to a mini-squabble that only ended when Eleanor threatened to let Rob sit shotgun for the rest of the ride. Once all the boys were collected, and the bickering subsided to manageable levels, they made it to school.

While they walked to their homeroom, Eleanor noticed a poster outside the door.

"Guys! Guys, look at this!" She gestured wildly to the poster, which details a "back to school carnival" to be held the following weekend. The boys all groan, shaking their heads at her. Unfortunately, Mr. Foley chose that exact moment to come to the door.

"I'd advise you kids hurry up and get into to class," he said, shooting them a disapproving look.

The little group settled into their chairs before Eleanor opened her mouth again to convince them to go, but, before she could get a word in, Mr. Foley began delivering the announcements.

"SAT practice test signups are in the main office, and the sign up deadline is next Friday. The next round of practice tests will be held in November," he told them, voice void of any emotion. Mr. Foley's monotone made it hard to listen, but still, Eleanor took note of the announcements, something the boys made fun of her for.

"This year's back to school carnival will be held on Saturday, from 3 pm to midnight. All proceeds go to the student activity board. Volunteer signups are in the main office." Eleanor's eye went wide, and she turned to her friends.

"Guys! We should totally go!" she whispered excitedly. Rob rolled his eyes.

"You still have much to learn about this school, young padawan." Eleanor scoffed, waving him off. "Come on guys it'll be totally fun!"

"E, as experts of this schools caste system, we're telling you, it won't be fun. This event is for the socially elite, the so-called 'popular kids.' That does not include us," Hunter said, voice ringing with a note of finality.

"Oh, please, all that 'popular kids' bullshit is just that, bullshit. It doesn't even exist!" she countered.

"Maybe not in enlightened New York, but here, In Sioux Falls, Minnesota, where it is always the nineties, popularity is alive and thriving," Rich tells her, giving her an all knowing look.

"Come on guys! Just for, like, an hour! Just to see what it's like! It could be a cool social experiment, a peek into a new world," Eleanor said, in what she hoped was an enticing voice. Hunter quirked an eyebrow at her, face impassive.

"Okay," he said. The other boys turned to gape at him rather theatrically.

"Okay?!" echoed Rob, sounding entirely scandalized.

"Are you out of your mind, Hunter?!" demanded Rich, voice dangerously above a whisper.

"I know what I'm doing," he whispered calmly back. "Let's try it."

"Hello, genius, do you no remember last year's, complete and utter catastrophe?" Rob hissed, sounding angry now. Hunter's mouth twitched, like he was hiding a smile.

"I remember," he answered simply. "It wasn't that big a deal."

At that, Rob gasped so loudly, that several classmates left their own conversations to glare at him. Luckily, Mr. Foley paid them no mind.

"What happened last year?" Eleanor asked, a little fearful of the answer. Whatever it was, it must've been embarrassing, because Hunter colored slightly and ducked his head.

"I… fell into a booth," he mumbled.

"Is that it?" Eleanor laughed. "Is that the 'complete and utter catastrophe?' Seriously guys, that's not even that bad! I've done way more embarrassing things before! I bet everyone's forgotten about it!"

"Also, I may or may not have started a small fight, more of a brawl really. Matthew Pinkett's nose was kind of a casualty," Hunter continued. Eleanor gaped at him, not able to imagine Hunter in a fight, let alone one he started

"Don't forget when you savagely broke Carter Archibald's arm, and we lost the entire football season because of that," Rob added. "Savage arm breaking, bro."

"Let's not forget him getting arrested in front of the entire student body!" Rich chimed in. Hunter frowned at that.

"Hey, man, the charges were dropped! My record is clean," he defended himself, capping it off with a charming smile.

"That horrific incident is why nobody likes us, because this idiot ruined the cheerleading booth and cost us the entire football season," Rich explained. Eleanor went quiet for a moment, trying to think of a way to recover from this.

"Well, maybe if we don't cause any major incidents, everyone will leave us alone this year," Eleanor offered. She kept telling herself that delinquent friends are better than no friends.

Hunter looked intrigue, exchanging looks with Rob and Rich. Whatever secret argument was going on resolved itself quite quickly, because Hunter smiled triumphantly and turned to Eleanor.

"We're going on one condition," Hunter started, smirking a little.

"Anything!" Eleanor interrupted, which only served to widen his smirk.

"You're driving."

00000

By the time it was Saturday, Eleanor could barely contain her excitement, going so far as to tell her mother her plans.

"Mom, guess what!" she'd said Friday night. Her mother looked up, eyes bleary and pale-faced.

"What?" she mumbled, struggling to get comfortable.

"My friends and I are going to the back to school carnival tomorrow!" she said, feeling child-like and carefree. Her mother heaved one of her great, world weary sighs, and pulled herself up to a sitting position.

"Did you even ask permission?" she asked. Delphine had always been gifted in the art of making her daughter feel small and pathetic, and today was no exception.

"I just figured it would be okay," Eleanor muttered, feeling far too young and stupid for her age.

"Eleanor, you are still a child! I'm your mother and you need to ask me when you want to make plans! Did you even think about how your little carnival escapade would affect me?" There it was, the selfish reasoning behind the rare burst of maternal prowess. Suddenly, Eleanor didn't feel at all guilty; instead, a careful anger spread through her slowly, twisting her faltered smile into sharp frown.

"And how does this affect you, mother?" she asked, raising her chin defiantly.

"I have plans this weekend! To paint! I need you here to do paint runs, obviously. You can never plan how inspiration will strike," Delphine said, as though this was all very reasonable. Eleanor barely contained a scoff.

"So, you want me home, to do paint runs, on the _off chance_ you might get inspired? Does that cover it?" Eleanor asked, feeling a little feral.

"You're my daughter! You are supposed to help me!" Delphine cried, tears glistening in her eyes. "I was practically a single mother for years! You're old enough to help out now, but you never do!"

Eleanor really did scoff this time, which prompted Delphine to burst into loud sobbing. She could've been an actress, if she was ever sober.

"Do you hate me? Do you want to run off and live with your father? Is that it? Would you rather I died?!" Delphine wailed, dropping to her knees.

"I'm going upstairs, now, mother." With that, Eleanor side stepped her mother and ran up the stairs, eager to escape the full-blown diva meltdown.

In the hour it took for Eleanor to finish her calculus homework, Delphine had quieted to a low sob: not ear-splitting but not easy to ignore either. It took hours for Delphine to calm down completely, so Eleanor figured it was safe to duck down into the kitchen to whip up a quick dinner.

Delphine had set up her easel in the middle of the living room, and was painting with fervor, splashing dark red paint all over the carpet. She pointedly ignored her daughter, sniffing loudly as Eleanor passed.

Humming cheerfully, Eleanor began gathering ingredients for stir-fry. Delphine snuck what she thought were discreet looks, but she had the habit of letting every little emotion play across her face.

"If you want some, mother, just ask," Eleanor told her, not bothering to look up from the pan.

"Well, if you would be so kind as to share with your poor mother, it'd be appreciated," Delphine said sniffing loudly. Even so, Eleanor still doled out stir fry. Her mother snatched the plate up, and sat with a huff on the breakfast bar.

"I'm eating in my room, Mother," Eleanor said, gathering her dinner. Delphine sniffed loudly, turning away from her daughter. Eleanor sighed, tired of the theatrics, and made her way up her room to finish the rest of her homework.

Saturday morning came with a sense of apprehension; Eleanor didn't know if her mother was still going to pitch a fit at her going to the carnival. She got ready quickly, twisting her hair into something vaguely put together. The girl crept downstairs carefully, trying not to draw any attention. When she got the living room, however, it seemed her efforts were wasted. Delphine had passed out on the couch, empty martini glass hanging loosely from her fingers.

Eleanor left the house and headed to the library, planning to spend some time there before going to get the guys.

00000

The entire car ride over to the carnival, the guys insisted on telling high school hierarchy horror stories. Eleanor didn't know what was worse, that the guys were so clearly exaggerating everything they said, or that she sort of believed them.

Rob and Rich were dressed pretty similarly, that was to say, a far cry from the suggested dress code of school colors. Hunter wore a black hoodie and a feral smile. Only Eleanor was clad in the prescribed blue and silver. Still, in a crowd of USGHS students, she felt out of place in her school sweater. When Rob shouldered his backpack, alarm bells went off in Eleanor's head.

"Oh my god, you guys are going to prank someone!" she hissed, looking appropriately enraged. There went her entire plan of a peaceful, conflict free evening. Hunter threw his arm around her shoulders, and Eleanor momentarily lost her train of thought.

"Wait, no! You guys, that's a horrible idea! I don't know if you noticed, but no one actually likes your stupid little plans," she said, shrugging his arm off. "Put the bag back!"

"Eleanor, sweet, naïve, Eleanor, how can we have any sort of fun if we can't scare someone into wetting themselves? Think about it," Rob told her, smarmy smile in place.

"Be cool dude! Chill out," Rich added. Eleanor couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something truly horrible was going to happen.

"Just promise me there won't be any sort of major damage," Eleanor conceded. Hunter pulled her back into a one armed side hug, squeezing her tight.

"I promise! This is going to be kickass!" His smile was wolfish in a way that promised he was going to break her promise. There was no stopping this travesty, it seemed.

Looking back, Eleanor had to say she had a solid hour in which things were fun. They played games, Hunter won prizes for everyone, and everyone had enough cotton candy to single-handedly fund the marching band's trip to Disney World.

Then, everything went to hell when the popular kids rolled in.

Natalie Wilson, accompanied by David Brook, led the pack, looking dangerously good. She was unequivocally the leader, calling all the shots. If there was one surefire way to be popular, it was to impress her.

Hunter stiffened when they came close to the cotton candy booth, surreptitiously stepping in front of the gang.

"Hi guys!" Eleanor said, craning around Hunter's shoulder. Natalie regarded her with cold eyes.

"Eleanor, right?" she asked, cocking her head. The rest of her group exchanged incredulous looks and shuffled off.

"Yeah, I'm in your history class," Eleanor explained, pleased at how nice this girl actually was.

"I know. I totally love your bracelet! Can I see it?" Natalie held her hand out, waiting. Eleanor scrambled to get her bracelet off and into her hand. Just as Natalie was admiring it, someone called her name, claiming her attention.

"Oh, shoot, I've got to go! Ciao!" Natalie blew kisses at everyone and ran off. It took Eleanor a moment to realize Natalie still had her bracelet.

"That little bitch just stole your bracelet!" Rob cried, once he'd seen her empty wrist.

"I'm sure she didn't mean to, Rob, and I'm sure that when I let her know she still has it, she'll hand it right over," Eleanor reasoned, though she didn't really believe that. They all stared after Natalie and her group, waiting for her to come back.

To Eleanor's utter surprise, she slipped the bracelet onto her wrist and showed it off to her friends. Hunter snarled, low and animalistic, behind her.

"Permission to cause major damage?" he asked, through gritted teeth. Eleanor nodded silently, stunned at the blatant display of thievery, and the boys whooped excitedly.

"Come on! Let's set up on the bridge!" Rob said, pulling on Eleanor and Hunter's arms. They walked to the old Wilson Bridge just outside of school grounds, the one elementary school children dared not to go near and high school students loved to dare one another to go on. Luckily, no one was there, so Hunter, equipped with a fog machine, dropped to the bank of the river below. He set the machines up and turned them on, turning a beautiful bridge into an eerie looking death trap. Rob and Rich had little speakers they hid in the hollows of trees nearby, ready to play spooky forest sounds.

Apparently, decades ago, a young couple used the bridge as a date spot, until the boyfriend brought another girl there. The girlfriend, driven mad by jealousy, stalked the lover, hidden in the shadows, intent on confronting them at the end of their date. At least, that's what she planned to do, until she saw the boyfriend give the other girl a special necklace that belonged to the girlfriend. Enraged, she ambushed the couple on the bridge and fought the girl for the necklace. In the struggle, the other girl was pushed into the river below, and drowned. The girlfriend then tore her boyfriend apart, using the necklace to claw him to death. Once her boyfriend was dead, the girlfriend slit her own throat, overtaken by grief.

Legend had it that the spirits of the three teens haunted the bridge to this day, breaking couples apart in gruesome ways.

Eleanor didn't believe in ghost stories, or anything supernatural for that matter, but she had to admit, knowing the three murders had been real scared her a little. They boys, once they'd finished setting up, grabbed Eleanor to hide in the bushes. It wasn't long before Natalie and David came to the bridge.

"How'd you know they'd come to the bridge tonight?" Eleanor whispered. Hunter grinned wickedly, and winked, but didn't explain.

Natalie's voice sounded tinny over the noise of the creek and the tape, but they could understand she was scared, and complaining to David about it. Hunter picked up a huge rock and got ready to throw it, nodding to Rich, who played a soundbite of a blood curdling scream. Eleanor clapped her hands over her ears, and Hunter tossed the rock into the water.

David and Natalie went completely still. Hunter turned to Eleanor, and handed her a big, chunky necklace.

"Wanna help?" Hunter looked sharply feral, bordering on terrifying, in a very "Norman Bates" kind of way, a sharp contrast to his normally sweet looks. Still, Eleanor found herself following silently, necklace clutched in hand.

"All you have to do is run at them, like you're going to stab them with the necklace, and I'll take the picture," he explained. With that, Hunter left her standing on the end of the bridge, while he jumped across fallen branches to get to the other side. Eleanor watched in awe; she hadn't know him to be so athletic and graceful. Once he was in position, he nodded to Eleanor and she ran, shrieking a little for emphasis.

Natalie and David both screamed, and David shoved Natalie out of the way to get off the bridge first. Hunter snapped the picture, howling with laughter.

"Oh my god, you freak!" Natalie snarled, launching herself at Hunter. He dodged her easily, still laughing, and snapped a few more pictures. Natalie whirled around to face David, who stood, dazed, and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Do something, you moron!" She shrieked, giving him a little shake. That seemed to pull David out of his shell and he turned to face Hunter, who pulled himself to his full height.

"What the fuck, you asshole?" He stepped into Hunter's space, and for a moment, Hunter's eyes went gold.

"What? You didn't like my little trick?" Hunter asked, smirking broadly. Rob and Rich pulled themselves out of the bushes and rushed over, presumably to save Hunter from getting pulverized. David clearly couldn't think of anything to say, because he reared back and swung at Hunter.

Amazingly, Hunter danced out of the way, grinning like this was what he wanted.

"Come on, man it's not worth it," Rich called, not daring to go near the impending fight.

"Fucking annihilate him man!" Rob screamed, eyes bight. Eleanor frowned but gave the boys a wide berth, just as she opened her mouth to say something, Natalie rounded on her, glowering.

"You think you're funny, you little freak?" she hissed, towering over Eleanor. She stuck her hands on her hips, waiting, like she expected Eleanor to grovel. The charms on her bracelet swayed, and suddenly, Eleanor was over this whole thing. She grabbed Natalie's wrist and tugged, trying to pry the bracelet off her wrist.

"What the hell?! Get off me!" Natalie cried, trying to twist away. The boys seemed not to notice their little spat, too intent on watching Hunter dodge punch after punch. Just as Eleanor yanked the bracelet off Natalie's wrist, Hunter swung his fist, landing an impressive blow against David's jaw. He stumbled back a little, clutching his jaw, but doubled his efforts by throwing himself at Hunter, catching the blonde boy around his waist and slamming him to the ground, hard.

Hunter growled, a sound far too low for his vocal range, and shoved David back, pulling himself to his feet. There was a long scratch along his cheekbone, oozing blood. Eleanor fastened the bracelet back around her wrist and scrambled away from Natalie, who, momentarily distracted by the fistfight, advanced on her suddenly.

David managed to sucker punch Hunter, who doubled over, groaning. He straightened up after a second and let his fist fly, hitting David in the chest and the face, sending him staggering back. Somehow, Eleanor managed to find herself in between the rails of the bridge and David, with no time to move away.

When he crashed into her, she barely felt the impact; all the pain came from the old, splintery railing of the bridge scrapping against her back. A scream ripped out of her as she fell, the roar of the wind and the water muffling the sound. Someone screamed her name, but she couldn't tell who.

She hit the water hard, and sank fast, her heavy clothes weighing her down. She deeply regretted borrowing Hunter's hoodie now, because it only seemed to pull her down. The current was particularly strong, and Eleanor flailed against it, trying to claw her way to the surface. She had to be caught on something, because nothing she did propelled her forwards. The current pulled her arms and legs painfully backwards, halting her movement even more.

Her lungs screamed at her to breathe, to open her mouth, but she didn't, fighting the urge with all she had. The water, already dark, became darker and fuzzier as her vision slowly faded. Dimly, she realized this could be the end, and in that particular moment, she didn't really care.

It was then that something broke through the surface, a dark, blurry mass headed straight for her. It collided with her and yanked her away from whatever she was caught on, pulling her up towards the surface.

As soon as her mouth cleared the water, she gasped in great lungful's of air, sputtering and coughing all the while. To her surprise, it was Hunter who clutched her close, looking at her with scared eyes. His skin was almost blue with the cold, and his lips were a dark purple.

"Hey, hey, Eleanor, can you hear me? Are you okay?" he demanded, pulling her even closer. She nodded weakly, looping tired arms around Hunter. He swam them to the riverbank, where Rob and Rich stood waiting. As soon as she was on solid ground, they wrapped her in their jackets, looking terrified.

"Jesus Christ, are you okay?" Rich asked, squatting down next to her. Rob copied his movements, peering at her carefully.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she answered, voice weak.

"You were down there a long time before Hunter jumped in. We thought we were too late," Rob confessed, eyes wide with child-like terror.

"I'm okay, I promise," Eleanor echoed herself, giving them a half smile. Hunter plopped down next to her, looping an arm around her shoulder.

"You see? This is why we don't go to things like this."

 **A/N:** **And there you have it folks! The next update will be after this upcoming round of midterms, so around the first weekend of October. But, because I'm a pre-med student, updates will be a little unstable. Please tell me what you think! Thank you so much, dear reader, for stopping by this story.**


	3. Chapter 3

In the days following the carnival, which was now dubbed "The Incident: Part Two," the boys were particularly nice to Eleanor. They listened to what she wanted to do, laughed at all her jokes, and never made fun of her when she did something dorky. Of course, everyone still hated them, but because David still had bruises and scars all over him, everyone gave them a wide berth.

On Thursday, Eleanor slid into her first class, a little late. No one had needed rides today, but then again, no one was there. Eleanor pulled her phone out discreetly, shooting everybody a text.

GROUP NAME: Hunter's stable of hoes

ELEANOR: Hey, where are you guys? Are you not coming to school?

She stashed her phone quickly and turned her attention back to class. First period passed quietly, considering she had no one to talk to. Usually, she has Hunter in the next class, but no one's texted her back, so Eleanor has no idea if any one's coming.

It's the middle of second period when her phone buzzed.

GROUP NAME: Hunter's stable of hoes

ROB: Hey, me and Rich are at school, but Hunter's not coming, he got sick.

ELEANOR: Okay! Hope you feel better Hunter!

No one answers after that, so Eleanor shoved her phone back in her pocket. The next few periods pass in silence, but Rob is one of her classes so it's mostly okay. Unfortunately, they have a test that day, so Eleanor didn't get to ask about Hunter and why they were late.

Finally, during lunch, she got to see the guys. Eleanor settled at their usual table, tray in front of her. She smiled at the guys when they got there, and was given tired smiles in return.

"Hey! So what happened? Where were you guys this morning?" she asked. Rob and Rich exchanged unsure looks.

"We… got held up?" It came out like a question, making Rich wince.

"Held up doing what?" Rich and Rob shared looks again.

"We were just doing some research, for an English project we have," Rob explained. "It's sort of an extra credit thing."

"Oh, okay. What happened to Hunter? Did he get sick?" Rich shrugged at that.

"Yeah, probably, we were hanging out last night and he looked pretty awful," he said. He dug into his lunch, stuffing his face. Eleanor frowned, but stayed silent.

Weird.

00000

Friday was normal, no one missing at least, but the group glossed over any questions Eleanor had, not matter how innocent they were.

Whatever, she thought, it doesn't matter. If it did, they'd tell her. The weekend passed pretty normally, with everybody getting together to watch one of many "classic" horror movies Eleanor had never seen.

Sunday night, however, something truly odd happened. She was over at the Sands house, helping Hunter with the homework he'd missed during the week. They'd finished up, and Eleanor shot a text to her mother letting her know that she was headed back. It went unanswered, of course, but it wasn't like Eleanor expected anything else.

Hunter walked her outside, helping carry her books, which was odd in itself, but not the point.

"Hey, so listen, I think I dropped my flash drive somewhere in your car when you took me home on Friday," Hunter started, pulling open her car door. He dumped the books onto the seat. "You haven't seen it, have you? It has all the pictures of the carnival on it."

"Uh, maybe? We can look for it, if you want," Eleanor told him, pulling up her phone's flashlight app.

Hunter didn't respond though, he just stood frozen, staring at the house across the street, face slowly draining.

"Yo! Hunter, what's wrong?" she asked, only to get no response. Eleanor started to walk over to him, which must've jarred him back to reality, because he grabs her roughly by the upper arm and all but drags her inside, still with no explanation.

Eleanor is dragged all the way to Hunter's room, and deposited roughly on the bed, before he whirls around like a chaotic tornado, closing windows and blinds, yelling for his dad. Mr. Sands ran up immediately, eying the situation wearily.

"Paulina," Hunter declared, like that explained everything. Eleanor was too frightened to say anything, to question Hunter's behavior, so she stayed silent, curling in on herself. Off-handedly, she heard her phone ping, signaling a text back from her mother.

Mr. Sands only stood there, gaping at his son, before crossing over to him fast, gripping him by the shoulders.

"Hunter, I need you to be absolutely certain. I need you to tell me exactly what you saw out there," Mr. Sands instructed, staring fiercely at his son.

"I'm positive, dad. I was out on the driveway, and I looked over and there she was, only she didn't look right, like she didn't even look vaguely human, but I'm one hundred percent sure it was her, I swear," Hunter recounted, Eleanor momentarily forgotten. She took a deep breath and steeled herself to talk.

"Um, what's going on?" The question came out much weaker than she'd intended, but they heard it all the same. Mr. Sands looked at her, an uncertain smile on his face.

"Eleanor, I think it might be best if I drive you home tonight. You can leave your car here and Hunter will pick you up for school tomorrow," he said slowly, like she was a small child.

"I'm not sure I understand, sir, but what exactly is happening?" She tried again. Hunter and his dad exchanged looks quickly, much subtler than Rob and Rich could ever hope to be.

"E, you have to trust me, okay," Hunter said, coming to sit by her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "A few years ago, this lady stalked my family, and I'm pretty sure I saw her again tonight, so I don't you going home alone tonight. Is your mom at home?" Eleanor pulled her phone out to check.

MOTHER: I'n nmot hone rihggt now, wont be fro a wihle

Eleanor stared at the gibberish on her phone screen for a second before sighing.

"No, she's gone. Probably partying with her friends, from the looks of this," she mumbled, embarrassed. Mr. Sands was regarding her with soft, sympathetic eyes that only made her burn with secondhand embarrassment for her mother.

"Alright, Hunter, this is your turf, so you do what's right. Just keep me posted," Mr. Sands said, scrubbing a hand over his face. "I'm going to go call Jordan. Goodnight kids, stay safe." With that, he left, closing the door gently behind him.

"Now what? Do we call the police?" Eleanor asked, not quite sure how to feel. Hunter shrugged.

"Nah, I don't think so. I don't want you to go out alone though," he answered, frowning a little.

"So, what do we do?" she repeated. Hunter ran his hands through his hair, pensive.

"Jesus, this is like… ugh, Jordan would know what to do," he muttered, mostly to himself.

"Your sister?"

"Yeah, she's way better at plans than I am. Mine kind of… end badly," he explained, a sheepish little smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "I used to be the king of this sort of stuff, but she really stepped up, I guess."

"I need to get home, just in case my mom decides to come home. She can't be trusted to take care of herself," Eleanor started. "I guess we just do what your dad said."

"But what if you're mom doesn't show up?" Hunter countered.

"It's not like I've never been home alone overnight, Hunter. And besides, I'll double-lock all the doors." Eleanor stood, waiting for Hunter to come along.

"Alright, listen, how about this: I stay over at your place tonight, just until your mom comes home, and we can just get a jump on the carpool for tomorrow," Hunter offered, winning smile in place. Eleanor blinked, surprised.

"Hunter, man, I don't know. If my mom found out I let a guy stay the night—"

"Just for protection!" he interjected, cheeks pink.

"Still. And besides, would your dad even be cool with that?" she finished, crossing her arms. Hunter nodded, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"He told me to do what I felt was right, and leaving you by yourself sounds like the opposite of right to me," he explained, cheeks going redder still. Eleanor could feel her own face heating in tandem, even though Hunter had made it clear this was a friendly visit.

"Okay, fine, but hurry up, it's getting late," Eleanor conceded, pulling her hair into a messy little ponytail. Hunter grinned a little, and began stuffing his backpack with supplies. Eleanor waited for him at the door to his room, trying to convince herself that was rational Hunter behavior.

Finally, when they were both ready, and Hunter had called a quick goodbye to his dad, they made their way to her car, stopping to pick up her fallen things. Hunter scanned the street carefully, before getting into the passenger seat.

They drove in silence, with Eleanor sneaking looks at Hunter every so often. He stared out the windows intently, eyes going gold from what Eleanor assumed was the glow of the street lamps.

They pulled up to find the house empty, no surprise there. Eleanor fumbled with the keys, hands shaking with unexplained nerves.

"Sorry, I, the keys are just being difficult," she mumbled. Hunter mumbled something unintelligible, but she managed to get the door opened before she could ask him to clarify.

"Do you want, I mean, can I, like, get you something to drink? Or like, to eat?" She leaned against the counter, gripping it surreptitiously. Hunter shook his head, giving her a little smile.

"I'm good," he assured her. They hung around the kitchen a little, alternating between staring that the floor and sneaking looks at each other. Hunter sighed, and huffed out a little laugh.

"This is getting ridiculous, you want to just go upstairs? You can just grab me a sleeping bag and we can just go to bed," Hunter said, charming little smile in place. Eleanor laughed, and nodded.

"Yeah, sounds good! Let me go grab the sleeping bag and you can just meet me upstairs, my bedroom is the first door to the right of the stairs." Hunter nodded, and headed up the stairs. Eleanor grabbed the sleeping bag from the linen closet just off the kitchen, along with some snacks, and followed after.

When she got up there, she found Hunter looking around her room, walking slowly along her wall.

"Hey," she said, announcing her presence. Hunter turned, grinning.

"I like your posters, man, very nerdy," he teased, gesturing to her eclectic collection of posters. There were several of her favorite TV shows represented, along with various bands and artists she enjoyed.

"Oh, please, like yours are any better," she shot back, referring to his large collection of horror movie posters.

"Mine are way cooler and you know it," he argued playfully, stepping closer. Eleanor followed suit, until they were an arm's length apart.

"You keep telling yourself that, buddy," she said, reaching up to pat his shoulder. She side stepped him, and plopped down on the bed, tossing the sleeping bag to the ground.

"Want to watch a movie? Before we go to bed?" Eleanor asked, pulling her laptop into her lap. Hunter settled down next to her, the both of them nestled against the headrest and each other. Eleanor opened Netflix up, and she Hunter flickered through the selection, laughing at some of the more cringe-worthy movies.

Finally, they picked something to watch, balancing the laptop between their laps. Halfway through the movie, Eleanor's head fell against Hunter's shoulder, prompting him to wrap an arm around her. Eventually, they fell asleep like that, wrapped up in each other, Eleanor slipping down to rest against Hunter's chest, syncing their breath.

00000

Eleanor woke to the alarm blaring very, very loudly. She couldn't get it, though, because apparently she'd wrapped her duvet around herself too tightly. Eleanor struggled a little with it, but couldn't manage to break free.

Weird.

Weirder still, the duvet started _mumbling._

"What the hell…" she mumbled, squirming to face whatever it was holding her hostage.

Hunter Sands was wrapped tight around her like an anaconda, snoring still. Eleanor stilled entirely, just staring at him, well, as much as she could considering the way he held her. She was cuddled close against his chest, head almost tucked under his chin. Their legs were entangled, so that there were barely any parts of her Hunter wasn't in contact with.

Weirdest of all, it was all very _nice._

She was warm in a way that went all the way down her body. Hunter was pretty much a furnace, radiating heat and rumbling as he snored. He made a pretty amazing pillow, in all actuality. It was then, however, when Hunter started waking. He stirred a little, yanking her closer and nuzzling into her hair, humming a little.

"Hunter," she tried, voice raspy from lack of use. He gave no response, only burying his nose deeper in her hair.

"Hunter, it's time for school," she muttered, pushing his shoulder a little.

"No, five more minutes," he whined quietly, tightening his grip on her even more. Eleanor squirmed harder.

"Dude, I have to pee, let me up," she said, managing to shove her way out of one arm. "Hunter!"

That seemed to do it, because Hunter jolted awake, and pulled away from her like he'd been burned. He stared up at her, eyes wide and cheeks pink, embarrassment heavy in the air.

"Oh! Jesus, I'm so sorry, Eleanor, I totally spaced and fell asleep right here when—"

"It's fine, so long as we're not late for school. Come on, we have to get moving!" With that, the two teens quickly got ready for the day, careful not to look at each other. Eleanor couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye, and refused to try. Hunter, however, kept sneaking glances at her, turning bright red every time she caught him.

The drive to school was pretty silent, Rob and Rich interjecting occasionally when the silence was too much to bare.

First, second, and third periods were pretty much the same: awkward, embarrassed silence. In fourth period, however, Hunter asked for a pencil when his ran out of lead, so things were looking up. Around lunch time, however, he'd talked to her again, like this morning hadn't happened. They chattered about this week's calculus test, and how unfair it was that they were being tested over three chapters, instead of the usual two. Rob and Rich watched them with knowing eyes, smirking at each other. Hunter seemed to catch on, though, and leveled them with a look.

Things went back to normal after that.

After school, Eleanor stood at her locker, piling things into her backpack, trying to remember what she'd forgotten. Just then, a soft sniffling noise caught her attention. She looked around the hallway, confused. She was the only one there, she thought. Then, she noticed a pair of expensive looking pink sneakers stick out from the small alcove at the end of the hall. She approached it carefully.

Natalie Wilson sat huddled against the alcove, tear soaked mascara dripping down her cheeks. Her usually gorgeous curls were greasy looking and saggy. She scowled up at Eleanor, but there was no fire in her expression.

"What do you want, Davis?" she asked, voice rough with tears. Instantly, Eleanor simply stared at her, unsure of what to say.

"Um, have you been crying?" she asked, albeit a little lamely. Natalie scoffed, though it lacked it usual crispness.

"Clearly," she answered bitterly. "Want to take a few shots at me? Make fun of me?" It sounded terribly tempting, the power she could hold over Natalie. Eleanor had decided she didn't like her after the fair, and taking a little revenge sounded good. There was something in Natalie's expression, however that stopped her. She looked small and unsure, bracing herself to be hurt again.

"You look like Sméagol," she blurted out. Eleanor clapped a hand over her mouth, surprised. Natalie looked at her in confusion.

"Who?" Eleanor shook her head, and held a hand out, meaning to help Natalie up.

"Never mind," she said. Natalie took her hand carefully and hauled herself up. She smoothed down her clothes and patted her hair self-consciously.

"Thanks."

"Sure. Do you need a ride?" Natalie blinked at her, a little surprised. She smiled, though, a cautious closed-mouth thing.

"Yeah, thanks." She swiped the tears off her face, wiping the rest of her makeup off in the process. She looked more human like this, Eleanor decided.

The girls made awkward conversation all the way to the car, where Hunter, Rob, and Rich stood, arms crossed, identical scowls on all their faces.

"Hey guys, you know Natalie," Eleanor said, unlocking the car. Natalie slid gracefully into the front seat before the guys even had a minute to fight over who got shotgun. Before Eleanor could climb into the car, Hunter pulled her aside, dragging her away from the car.

"What's going on?" he demanded. "What is she doing her?"

"She needed a ride," Eleanor told him simply. It felt wrong to explain anymore, like she was betraying Natalie or something.

"What, are you guys friends now?" Hunter scoffed. "Are you forgetting she shoved you into the river last week?"

"No, I still remember." Her voice was cold, and left no room for argument. Hunter deflated, looking at her in concern.

"No one wants you to get hurt," he admitted, looking at her imploringly. She smiled softly.

"It's just a ride," she reminded him. "Don't worry."

The car ride was awkward, and the boys went out of their way to be mean to Natalie. She gave as good as she got however, snarking right back. Eleanor stayed quiet, scared to talk. She dropped Hunter off second to last.

"Text me when you get home," he told her, stooping low to peer through her window. He gave Natalie one more frown and left, walking up his drive and disappearing inside.

"Why do you hang out with those guys?" Natalie asked, once they were on the way home. It turned out that Natalie only lived a few houses down from her.

"Why did you steal my bracelet?" Eleanor fired back. Natalie blush, red staining her caramel colored skin.

"It was a dare. We knew you were the new kid, so they dared me to take something from you," she admitted. "Sorry." Eleanor burst out laughing, amused at the simplicity of the apology. It held weight though, and rang with sincerity.

"Yeah, yeah."

"This is me," Natalie said, nodding in the direction of her house. "Thanks for the ride!"

"See you," Eleanor called as Natalie headed out of the car. She walked over to Eleanor's window, like Hunter had done.

"I really am sorry, though. It was shitty of me to take your bracelet, even for a dare. And I'm sorry for the fight on the bridge." Eleanor blinked up at her, taken aback.

"I… yeah, I'm sorry too, for scaring you." Natalie beamed at her.

"We're cool." With that, she headed inside and Eleanor followed suit, taking the time to park in the garage this time. She wandered into the kitchen, feeling lighter than she had in ages.

00000

The week passed by slowly, the gang suffering from tests and quizzes and projects. They had a few study sessions at Rob and Rich's place. It turned out that they were step brothers to be, because Rob's mom was marrying Rich's dad. Eleanor couldn't tell who was more excited about the impending union, the boys or Mr. Dean and Ms. Haverfield.

Tonight, they were hanging out at the Sands house, struggling through chemistry. They sat in Hunter's room, textbook and flashcards interspersed amongst Hunter's gory movie props. Eleanor had intestines draped over her shoulders like a feather boa, Rich played with a bloody rubber brain, Rich had something that looked like a liver in his hands, and Hunter tossed a heart up and down.

"Okay, there's only so much acid-base equilibria that I can take," Rich complained. "Let's take a break and do something."

"I agree. If I see another hydrogen ion again, I'm going to scream." Rob concurred. Hunter yawned, accidently dropping the heart.

"We could watch a movie or something?" Eleanor offered. Her phone chimed then, signaling a text.

NATALIE WILSON: Hey! I'm having a party tonight; do you want to swing by? If you're not busy. You could bring your friends if you want

ELEANOR DAVIS: Yeah, we're all studying together, but I think we could use a break. Let me see what the guys say.

"Okay, so I just got invited to a party," Eleanor announced, trying to keep her composure. She'd always wanted to be invited to a high school party; this was like every clichéd dream she'd ever had coming true. Hunter rolled his eyes.

"By Natalie? Are you leaving?" he asked darkly. Eleanor frowned at him. Leave it to Hunter to ruin a good thing.

"She asked if you guys wanted to come too," she informed him, something akin to anger boiling low in her gut. Hunter softened a little. Rob and Rich smirked at each other.

"Well, I'm in," Rob decided, pulling himself to his feet. "What about the rest of you." Rich nodded, running a hand through his hair.

"Do I look okay?" Hunter laughed, a hollow sound. "You look fine."

"Come on, let's get a move on!" Eleanor couldn't quite place what was wrong, but she didn't care; she was determined to have a good time. The three of them headed out, Eleanor in the lead. After a minute, Hunter came thundering down the stairs, sheepish expression on his face.

"I'm not hanging out by myself," he explained, running a hand through his hair. "Dad! We're headed out! We'll be back later! I'll text you!"

"Okay, Hunter! Text me!" Mr. Sands answered back. "Bye, kids!"

Eleanor shot a quick text to her mother, sure she wasn't going to get a reply. They piled into her car and took off, boys hooting excitedly. Hunter sat in the front seat, frowning at the radio station.

"Want to pick the music?" Eleanor asked. He shook his head, silent for a moment.

"What's the deal with you and Natalie? Why is she being nice all the sudden?" he asked, looking at her intently.

"We talked. Things are cool with us now," Eleanor explained. Still, she was a little weary. Even though she was thrilled beyond thrilled for a chance to go to a real high school party, she was a touch apprehensive. It felt a bit like a set up.

"She could be setting you up," Hunter echoed her thoughts.

"I hope not. If she doesn't, then we can be friends with her, but if she does, then screw her," Eleanor told him simply. Still, Hunter didn't seem convinced. Either way, it was too late to chicken out now; they were parking outside Natalie's house.

 _Here we go,_ Eleanor thought. Neither she nor the boys noticed a streak of black whiz past the house, moving too fast to be human.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay, so I realize it's been a million years since the last update, but I'd lost interest in this story a bit. However, I think that I'm back now. Of course, you might think SM, you say that in every update and straight up abandon people! Fear not, because I made a writing schedule! Hope you enjoy!**

It didn't take long to get to the party. Eleanor parked a little ways up the street, past all the other cars. Together, the four of them made their way up the house, Eleanor wrapped her arms around herself self-consciously.

The house seemed to vibrate with the music, the base thumping so loud Eleanor could feel it in her chest. Hunter winced a little, rubbing his ears a little. Rob and Rich rushed ahead, excitedly running their hands through their hair.

Inside, the music pulsed even louder. A haze of smoke drifted lazily through the living room, catching the light from the low-lit lamps. It was like a scene from a bad chick flick, red cups everywhere, drunk teens stumbling around each other.

"Eleanor! You made it! Hey, girl!" Natalie rushed up, swaying a little. Her cheeks were flushed, hair slightly mussed.

"I, yeah, we figured we'd stop by," she said. Rob and Rich peeled off, mingling. Hunter hovered close by, looking awkward. He must not have been invited to many parties, Eleanor figured.

"Awesome! Okay, well, drinks are in the kitchen, there's like pizza and chips too, so like, help yourself," she said, though it came out a slur. A couple people called out to her, so she stumbled away, leaving Eleanor and Hunter to their own devices.

"Great party," he said, sarcastic. Eleanor rolled her eyes.

"You could at least try to have a little fun," she suggested. "Maybe grab a drink?"

"I don't drink."

"No, of course not," she grumbled. "Okay, well, I'm going to have fun. Believe it or not, I've actually never been to one of these before." With that she walked off, determined to have a good time. Drunk classmates, Eleanor decided, where a lot nicer than sober classmates. For one, no one sneered at her, which was nice. Maybe it was a free pass from Natalie.

In the kitchen, some kids were mixing drinks, and as soon as she stepped in, someone pressed a cup into her hands. It's contents was a bright red, like fruit punch. She took a careful sip. It was sweet, though it burned on the way down.

Eleanor drained it, loving the way it scorched through her. Someone handed her another cup, and another when that one ran dry. People laughed around her, cheering as she threw them back.

Soon she found herself enveloped in someone's arms, laughing along with the crowd at the drinking game in front of them. She couldn't quite tell what game it was, her vision fuzzy around the edges.

Eventually, she was pulled away, out of the kitchen, and lead down to a dark hallway. She felt weightless, like the ground didn't really exist. Something solid hit her back, and heavy arms trapped her where she stood. Eleanor blinked trying to get her bearings. There was a boy in front of her, leering down with a hungry look in his eyes.

He ducked in closer, but she didn't want that. Eleanor squirmed away, but he wouldn't let her, grabbing her chin roughly with one hand.

"No, I, no, get off, wait," she slurred, slipping against the wall. The boy stepped in closer, holding her chin tightly.

Suddenly, he was gone, and Eleanor was left slumping against the wall. They boy groaned, splayed flat on his back, clutching his jaw. Hunter stood next to him, eyes _literally_ flashing. Eleanor frowned, squinting. His eyes, were, like, golden or something.

"Are you okay?" Hunter asked, rushing over to her when he noticed her looking. His eyes settled back into his usual green.

"I…" It was hard to talk, hard to get her mouth to move right. Hunter gently took her arm, guiding her carefully from the wall.

"Come on, E, let's get you home," he said. Eleanor gripped his arm, leaning heavily against him. After a few steps, Hunter gave up, and gathered her up completely in his arms. He gracefully maneuvered them out of the hallway and out the back door, setting her down on the swing.

"Hang out here for a minute, okay. I'm going to get you some water, I'll be right back," he said. Eleanor leaned her head against the back of the swing, breathing in the soothingly cool air. Nausea bubbled up through her system, clawing up through her throat.

"Hey, got you some wat—oh, shit!" Hunter grimaced, suddenly faced with a shoe full of puke. Eleanor pulled herself back up, swiping her mouth.

"Sorry, I'm sorry," she apologized, winced at the rancid taste in her mouth. Hunter shrugged, staring down at his feet.

"Nah, that's… okay. I'm just gonna clean this up, grab the guys, I guess. Be right back." With that, Hunter left again. At least the nausea had passed. It was then she noticed the bottle of water he'd left out for her. Smiling, she took a cautious sip and rinsed out her mouth. When her mouth didn't taste like a toxic waste dump, she gulped some water down.

Finally, Hunter and the boys reappeared, Rob and Rich plopping down on either side of her.

"Here, E, hand me your keys, I'll get the car. You guys wait here," Hunter offered. She obliged, fishing out the keys from her pocket.

"Cool, I'll be right back. Yo, watch her." That, he directed at the boys. Rich snickered, throwing an arm around Eleanor.

"Sure man," he said. "Christ, E, what happened?"

"Had some fruit punch," she mumbled. "Some guy tried to kiss me, wasn't great." The smile slipped off both their faces.

"What?" Rich asked.

"When? Who?" Rob demanded. Eleanor shrugged, slumping closer to Rich.

"Jeez, alright. Hunter got him?" She nodded, thinking back to the image of him, angry, fists out and eyes flashing.

"His eyes are kind of… weird right?" she asked. The boys exchanged worried looks.

"No, I mean, not really, they're just like, what are they, Rob, like blue? Green, maybe?"

"Yeah, something like that, just like a normal type of color." Rob agreed. Eleanor frowned but didn't respond. Huh.

They sat silent for a while, until Hunter came back for them.

"What's up?" he said, noticing the weird silence. Eleanor staggered up, grabbing Hunter by the shoulders.

"Let me see your eyes," she demanded, cupping his face. Heat bloomed under her fingers as Hunter went slowly red.

"Okay, you're still drunk, come on." He led her to the car, helping her into the front seat. Hunter was a pretty good driver, getting them home quickly. They parked in front of her house, sitting quietly.

"You alright? Things got… pretty ugly back there." Eleanor frowned, shrugged. Honestly, she wasn't sure how she felt. Her head was buzzing.

"Okay. Is your mom home?" Again, Eleanor shrugged.

"Do you want me to stick around? I'll sleep on the couch, if you want," he offered.

"If you want," she said. Eleanor got out of the car, teetering a little uncertainly. She felt… weird. Her skin burned where the boy touched her, and embarrassment rushed through her. Suddenly, she didn't want Hunter to stay, worried what he would think. Her cheeks burn, and worst of all, tears blur her vision.

"Hey, E, hey it's okay," Hunter said, from somewhere close by. His arms were heavy around her, and she couldn't help the way she flinched. He dropped his arms fast, taking a careful step back.

"I just need a minute," she mumbled. As hard as she tries to fight it, she can't the tears that drip down her cheeks. "I don't even know why I'm crying, nothing even happened, and I just…"

"Hey, no, it's okay. You had a really bad scare tonight," Hunter said softly. Eleanor swiped angrily at her cheeks. She was fine, everything was fine. After a moment, she and Hunter went inside.

True to his word, he stayed on the couch, and Eleanor actually felt a little bit better knowing he was there. Once she'd brushed her teeth and downed a couple glasses of water, she settled into bed, checking her phone.

There were a few incoherent texts from her mother, informing her that either she was drunk at a party or high at an art studio. There are a few from Natalie too, asking her where she went and if everything was okay.

Eleanor's fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure of what to type out.

ELEANOR: I'm fine. Things got intense, so we headed out. No big deal.

NATALIE: Oh! What happened?

Eleanor frowned, unsure of whether to tell her or not. The typing bubbles popped up on her side of the conversation, then disappeared. She guessed neither of them knew what to say.

ELEANOR: Can I talk to you Monday morning? At school?

NATALIE: Sure! Meet me by the art hallway before class starts

ELEANOR: Sure.

With that, she shut her phone off and settled into a restless sleep.

00000

The next morning, Eleanor woke to a blistering headache. Her throat was parched, and the sunlight streaming through her window made her eyes burn. Still, she stumbled through her morning routine, heading downstairs when the dizziness passed.

Hunter was still sprawled across the couch, face peaceful. His expressiveness was one of his best qualities, how his face shifted to play out every little emotion he felt.

"Hey," she said softly, touching his shoulder. Hunter stirred, blinking up at her blearily. A slow smile spreads over his face. Eleanor walked into the kitchen, pulling out ingredients. There was a little bit of pancake mix left, enough for the two of them.

"Need a hand?" he asked, pulling himself up. Eleanor gestured to the second pan she laid out, handing him a package of bacon. Together, they cooked in a peaceful silence, but the set of Hunter's jaw suggested he had something to say.

"Okay," Eleanor started, flipping a pancake. The butter hissed on the pan, mingling with the sizzle of the bacon. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Hunter answered, far too casually. "Okay, yeah, I'm just a little surprised, I guess."

"About what?"

"You're taking things really well," he admitted cautiously. "Do you want to… talk?"

"About what?" Eleanor repeated, although she knew exactly what he wanted to talk about. Honestly, she wasn't sure what she felt. She doesn't really remember much, just the feeling of being trapped.

"E…" Hunter looked at helplessly, lost for words.

"I'm fine, honestly." She was, she thought. Nothing happened, so everything was fine.

"Okay, but if you decide later that you want talk, or say anything, I'm here." There was one thing weighing on her mind.

"Do you remember who he was?" she asked, hating the way her voice seemed to shrink. Hunter sighed heavily, eyes downcast.

"No, I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't recognize him. Everything happened so fast, and he got out of there kind of quick, and honestly I was more focused on you."

"Yeah, I figured." Eleanor drew her arms around herself, chewing on her bottom lip. Hunter looked at her with pity. It made her feel a little pathetic.

"I'm fine," she assured him. Anything to get that look off his face.

"Okay," he said, hands up placatingly.

"Okay," she repeated, feeling defensive suddenly. "Hey, you should probably head home, your dad's probably wondering where you are."

"Oh." Hunter looked surprised, as if he'd forgotten all about his dad. "Uh, yeah, sure. Um, call me you need anything."

"Yeah," she mumbled. A thought occurred to her. "Do you need a ride? We took my car." Hunter flushed, smiled at her sheepishly.

"That's be great."

00000

The whole incident took a backseat for the rest of the weekend, because her mother spent a rare weekend home. Eleanor spent the rest of Saturday, and most of Sunday alternating between doing her homework and minding her mom.

Monday morning, however, Eleanor was reminded in full force, standing in the art hallway, waiting for Natalie to show.

"Hey!" Natalie hurried around the corridor. She looked flawless, dark hair in full, bouncy curls around her shoulders. Eleanor felt more than a little self-conscious, and suddenly, her will to share wilted.

"Hey," Eleanor mumbled, smiling weakly.

"So, what's up? What happened Saturday night?" Eleanor took a deep breath.

"Um, did you happen to see who I was with? At the party? I was… drinking, and I don't remember," she explained. To her absolute horror, tears sprang up in her eyes.

"Oh! Oh my god, what happened? Did something bad happen?"

"No!" It came out terribly defensive. Eleanor and Natalie stared at each other, both a little taken aback.

"Eleanor," Natalie started, her voice uncertain.

"Um, you know what, I'm actually going to go, I just remembered there was homework I didn't get done," she lied.

"Wait, hang on! Whatever happened, I'll help," Natalie said, reaching out for Eleanor. She stopped, feeling strange and off-kilter. She'd wanted to say something about what happened, but the words didn't quite make it out.

"Things got… out of hand," she explained, running a hand through her short, black locks. "There was a guy, and I guess he tried to kiss me, I don't remember much, but I know I didn't want it to happen."

"Did you and Hunter fight or something? Or break up?" Natalie asked, guiding her into the girls room. Immediately, Eleanor blushed.

"What? Hunter and I aren't—no way!" Although even she had to admit that her friendship with Hunter was a bit odd. Buds didn't cuddle with each other.

"Oh! I just thought, like, you hang out a lot, I just assumed—whatever, never mind. Here, I have my yearbook, we can see if you remember whoever it was." Natalie fished through her backpack for the yearbook, flipping it open to last years sophomore class. "You were the only transfer kid this year."

The girls scanned each boy's picture until the warning bell rang, singling that students only had five minutes to get to their homerooms.

"I'll catch you at lunch or something," Natalie said, stashing her yearbook. "We'll play detective then."

"Hey, Natalie?" Eleanor stopped her on the way out. "Thanks for helping me." Natalie smiled at her, bright and beautiful.

"Girls have to stick together."

 **A/N: Let me know what you all thought! Also, let me know what you think about the pacing of the story.**


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